A decoding device checks whether there is free space in each of channel-by-channel buffers, specifies a channel corresponding to a buffer having free space as an input channel for receiving an input of compressed data, analyzes codes of the compressed data received through the input channel, and detects a delimit position in the compressed data on the basis of a result of the analysis. The decoding device expands the compressed data received through the input channel, and sorts the expanded data so as to be stored in the buffer corresponding to the input channel. The decoding device cancels specification of the input channel in accordance with detection of the delimit position, and checks whether there is free space in each of the channel-by-channel buffers, and then specifies a channel corresponding to a buffer having free space as a next input channel.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A decoding device comprising: a plurality of input units corresponding to a plurality of data transmission channels and configured to accept inputs of encoded compressed data through the corresponding data transmission channels; a plurality of buffers configured to correspond to the data transmission channels; a specifying unit configured to, check whether there is free space in each of the plurality of buffers so as to specify a data transmission channel corresponding to a buffer having a free space, and cause the input unit corresponding to the specified data transmission channel to accept the input of encoded compressed data; a detecting unit configured to, analyze codes of the compressed data received from the input unit corresponding to the specified data transmission channels and detect a delimit position in the compressed data based on the analysis; an expanding unit configured to expand the compressed data based on the delimit position detected by the detecting unit and independently from other inputs of encoded compressed data; and a sorting unit configured to sort and store the expanded data into the buffer corresponding to the specified data transmission channel, wherein the specifying unit is further configured to, in response to detection of the delimit position, cancel the specified data transmission channel and then specify a next data transmission channel.
2. The decoding device according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit detects the delimit position on the basis of an end code indicating an end of the compressed data.
3. The decoding device according to claim 2 , wherein the sorting unit stops storage in the buffer corresponding to the specified data transmission channel in accordance with an end signal included in the expanded data, the end signal being obtained by expanding the end code.
4. The decoding device according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit detects the delimit position on a basis of a start code indicating a start of the inputted compressed data.
5. The decoding device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the input units accepts inputs of the compressed data and expanded data through the corresponding data transmission channel, the decoding device further comprises a detouring unit configured to detour the expanded data accepted by the input unit, the detoured expanded data being an output to the sorting unit without passing through the expanding unit, and the sorting unit sorts and stores the expanded data expanded by the expanding unit and the expanded data detoured by the detouring unit into the buffer corresponding to the corresponding data transmission channel.
6. The decoding device according to claim 1 , further comprising an input buffer configured to temporarily store the compressed data accepted by the input unit corresponding to the specified data transmission channel output the temporarily-stored compressed data to the expanding unit, wherein the specifying unit specifies the next data transmission channel after waiting until all the compressed data temporarily stored in the input buffer has been expanded by the expanding unit.
7. The decoding device according to claim 6 , wherein the specifying unit specifies a plurality of data transmission channels, as well as a next data transmission channel after waiting until compressed data temporarily stored in the input buffers corresponding to the specified data transmission channels has been all expanded.
8. The decoding device according to claim 7 , wherein the specifying unit specifies the plurality of channels in an order depending on the lastly-specified data transmission channel.
9. An image forming apparatus comprising: a memory for storing a color image to be formed as compressed image data; the decoding device according to claim 1 for expanding the compressed image data with respect to each color; and an image forming unit that forms a color image on a sheet, wherein the image forming unit uses the buffers included in the decoding device as color-by-color buffers and forms the color image on the basis of the image data for their respective colors stored in the buffers.
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the image forming unit forms the color image by an ink-jet method on the basis of the image data for their respective colors stored in the buffers.
11. A decoding device comprising: a plurality of input units corresponding to a plurality of data transmission channels and configured to accept inputs of encoded compressed data through the corresponding data transmission channels; a plurality of buffers corresponding to the data transmission channels; a specifying unit configured to,. check whether there is free space in each of the buffers so as to specify a data transmission channel corresponding to a buffer having a free space, and cause the input unit corresponding to the specified data transmission channel to accept the input of encoded compressed data; a detecting unit configured to detect a delimit position in the compressed data; an expanding unit configured to expand the compressed data based on the position detected by the detecting unit and independently from other inputs of encoded compressed data; a counting unit configured to count a data length of the expanded data; and a sorting unit configured to sort and store the expanded data into the buffer corresponding to the specified data transmission channel, wherein the specifying unit is further configured to cancel the specified data transmission channel upon the data length counted by the counting unit being a predetermined data length, and then specify a next data transmission channel.
12. The decoding device according to claim 11 , further comprising an input buffer configured to temporarily store the compressed data accepted by the input unit corresponding to the specified data transmission channels and output the temporarily-stored compressed data to the expanding unit, wherein the specifying unit specifies the next data transmission channel after waiting until all the compressed data temporarily stored in the input buffer has been expanded by the expanding unit.
13. The decoding device according to claim 12 , wherein the specifying unit specifies the plurality of data transmission channels as well as a next data transmission channel after waiting until compressed data temporarily stored in the input buffers corresponding to the specified data transmission channels has been all expanded.
14. The decoding device according to claim 13 , wherein the specifying unit specifies the plurality of channels in the order depending on an lastly-specified data transmission channel.
15. An image forming apparatus comprising: a memory for storing a color image to be formed as compressed image data; the decoding device according to claim 11 for expanding the compressed image data with respect to each color; and an image forming unit that forms a color image on a sheet, wherein the image forming unit uses the buffers included in the decoding device as color-by-color buffers and forms the color image on the basis of the image data for their respective colors stored in the buffers.
16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the image forming unit forms the color image by an ink-jet method on the basis of the image data for their respective colors stored in the buffers.
17. A method of controlling a decoding device including a plurality of input units corresponding to a plurality of data transmission channels and configured to accept inputs of encoded compressed data through corresponding data transmission channels and a plurality of buffers corresponding to the data transmission channels, the method comprising: checking whether there is free space in each of the plurality of buffers to specify a data transmission channel corresponding to a buffer having a free space; causing the input unit corresponding to the data transmission channels to accept the input of encoded compressed data; analyzing codes of the compressed data received from the input unit corresponding to the data transmission channels detecting a delimit position in the compressed data based on the analyzing; expanding the compressed data based on the detected delimit position and independently from other inputs of encoded compressed data; and sorting and storing expanded data into the buffer corresponding to the specified data transmission channel, wherein at the specifying, in response to detection of the delimit position, the specified data transmission channel is cancelled and a next data transmission channel is specified.
18. The decoding device according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit divides the compressed data into delimited data pieces based on the delimit position, and the expanding unit expands the compressed data received from the detecting unit in a unit of delimited data.
19. The decoding device according to claim 18 , wherein the detecting unit merges the delimited data pieces of the compressed data received from the input unit corresponding to the specified data transmission channel and delimited data pieces of the compressed data received from the input unit corresponding to the next data transmission channel, and the expanding unit expands merged compressed data received from the detecting unit in a unit of delimited data.
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February 24, 2010
January 7, 2014
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